The move, which could see some new editorial hirings but will mostly see existing print staff at Express Newspapers moved to bolster its online operation, is viewed as Desmond's first attempt to create a "digital first" strategy. Senior editorial executives were informed of the plans on Tuesday.

Express Newspapers has been slow to embrace the potential of the internet, while rivals such as Mail Online have seen an explosion in growth.

The shift of staff from print to digital is likely to cause a major upheaval across the titles, with separate digital editors for the websites of the print editions set to gain significant power, coming on the heels of the announcement last May of a move to seven-day publishing.

Desmond addressed the accusations of his slow embrace of digital media to date in a recent interview with MediaGuardian.

"Have I been slow? Maybe I have been slow," he said. "Since last year we've been very active in digital and online. We are profitable and are consistently investing in our sites across the board. It is quite nice sometimes to be a dedicated follower of fashion as opposed to being a pioneer."

In January Trinity Mirror – the publisher of 100-plus regional titles and national papers including the Daily Mirror – announced it was cutting a net total of 40 editorial jobs in a restructure to move from a print focus to digital content and e-editions.

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